Ive walked by this restaurant a million times and never went in (thank god). Last night for the first time in 35 years I went here in a group setting. I ordered my fav dish I order at every place I go to... chicken parm For $16 they gave me a tiny piece of chicken and a plate of.. french fries?! They said that the pasta is an upgrade (no its not Frans....) for an extra $3.50. I dont think so... Down the street you can get chicken parm, with 2 huge pieces of chicken, on a bed of pasta (for free, imagine that) for $18 Beyond fucked up. BEYOND. read more

I'm an American who spent four days in Toronto. I stayed at the Neill-Wycik hostel, which is about a 10 minute walk from Fran's. I went here and ordered spaghetti with meat sauce. It was good, but not great. The portion size was decent. However, it's simply overpriced. And as an added bonus, they play lame 1950's diner music. I'd only come here as a last resort if you wanted a late night meal and every other restaurant in the area was closed. read more

Stopped in after a late night out. Ordered, then waited an hour until 4am, only then to learn the kitchen staff had quit earlier in the middle of the shift. No announcement from the waiter or apologies from the manager who we finally managed to lure out of hiding in the back - he just sort of shrugged his shoulders indignantly, offering no further explanation. At that point, we just left. Pretty awful from a customer service stand point. As for the food, I guess I'll never know. #BetterPlacestoEat read more

Loved it! Good vibe local brunch place. Quite Canadian style, I appreciate they are open 24/7 :)

A really cool spot to hang out. 3 levels, but the top level was closed when I was there. The 2nd level feels like a balcony since they've removed the windows for the good weather. Service was good. The Skinny Dill Pickle Fries were great. They are french fries with dill on them, NOT actual pickles. I would get these instead of the regular fries that come with your meal. Loved them! The Chicken & Waffles were ok. The waffle was fluffy and perfect, but the chicken was dry and overcooked. I could barely get any chicken off. Really good drink selection. Everything from beer to cocktails to milkshakes. read more

This is the one breakfast place where we struggled to order the selection was THAT good. Recommended by our hotel we took a short walk and were grateful when we arrived. The coffee is strong and good. The options are plentiful. Veggie Omelette with cheddar added, side of sausage, rye toast and home fries. It was PACKED when we made it in around 9 on Saturday am. The lovely waitress was so kind and patient with us. Very hospitable and so polished. I'd go back in a minute and normally I don't hit up the concierge at hotels for recommendations. I hit up YELP of course so don't let the mid-range reviews scare you off. I'm glad Danny did the homework for us and we found Fran's. read more

I came to Fran's on a recommendation from a friend. They had indicated that it was a Toronto Institution. I did a quick read of the website/menu before heading out and realized this place is a glorified diner. When arriving there, it is definitely a diner. And as such my expectations were set. If you are looking for gourmet, this is not your place. If you are looking for comfort food, then this is definitely your place. Diner style seating on benches. The distance between me and the table when seated was alarmingly small. I'm not a big guy and I would be hard pressed to drop a french fry into my lap. The Server was quick and friendly and was very good. After she took my order, she indicated she would be bringing water but was there anything else I wanted. Kudos for identifying that. No real upsell on anything either, which is always good. I had ordered the ALL-CANADIAN BANQUET BURGER with fries. The burger was served up quickly and everything was hot. Other reviewers indicated the burger was bland... it had some flavour, but wasn't anything explosive. It was a good juicy burger, but nothing overly fantastic. The bun was a bit wimpy and didn't hold together very well. Fries were what you'd expect from a diner, fresh and hot (just the way they should be). Overall, the service was very good, the food was better than average for a diner, and the place was clean and bright. Next time I'm in the mood for comfort food, I'm coming back to Fran's. read more

Fran's Restaurant - All-Canadian banquet burger - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Not a pleasant experience. Been coming here for years. Had a few appts downtown and was running late (because delays happens, that's life?) We were upfront about the possible delay in the very beginning too. Got there 30 min late and was told to leave. Ok ill take my beer and steak business elsewhere. By the way, there was no line up, no lunch rush at the time either. read more

Makes you appreciate the consistency of Denny's. We arrived in Toronto late at night and this was one of the very few places open. In hindsight, McDonald's would have been a better choice. Luckily we weren't that hungry so shared chicken and waffles. It arrived quickly but looked like a mistake. The chicken looked like thickly battered fish strips. Chicken was unseasoned and was as bland as plain tofu. Waffle wasn't crispy but comparatively edible once you throw some syrup on it. Ok, maybe they just messed up this one thing, how about we wash it down with a strawberry milkshake? Another swing and miss. Super runny, it tasted like artificial strawberry milk. When I sent it back the server said "it's been a little hot lately, that's why the ice cream was soft". Ok bud. At this point, we should have left but we went for the full definition of insanity. We ordered a banana cream pie. Way too sweet, every element was wrong. The only good thing I can say was PBR draft was only $4. Take me to Denny's. read more

My wife and I hadn't been here in years so we were really looking forward to a good Eggs Benedict breakfast and we went to the College Street location. Big disappointment! The service was extremely slow. When the dishes finally arrived, the hollandaise sauce was beige - not yellow and tasteless. The home fries were overcooked and dry - likely hours old, kept in a warming tray. The fruit garnish was a very thin unappetizing orange slice. I should have complained but due to the very slow service, I would be late for an appointment. The only reason for two stars is the freshly squeezed orange juice. I can see why the St. Clair location closed. We will never go back. read more

Not a bad place. Diner-esque. Lots of menu options. Prices are decent. Don't expect 5 star food though. I had the chicken and waffles ($15?). I asked if the chicken was bone in or whether it was like chicken tenders. They told me it was bone in. When it came out, it was two chicken tenders on a rather lackluster waffle, sprinkled with green onions. Probably the least Insta-worthy chicken and waffles I've ever seen. Taste-wise, the chicken was decently crispy, but for the size of the waffle, there really wasn't enough chicken. This was also supposed to be served with maple syrup and while it was served with syrup, it definitely didn't taste like maple. More like table syrup. All in all, it was a decent meal but I wouldn't order this again. read more

Fran's is a Toronto institution at this point, and this location has always been the one I visit because of the slightly retro diner feel and friendly service. Also, the space is huge so you are always guaranteed a seat no matter what time (even if it's 3am because they are open 24/7). Was here recently for Sunday lunch and had the Morning Glory on the breakfast menu. A large waffle topped with 2 eggs (poached pls), 2 strips of bacon, caramelized apples, and drizzled with hot syrup. The waitress asked if I wanted the hot syrup on the side and I took her up on the offer to prevent any waffle sogginess from happening. I appreciated the extra attention to detail and that she took the time to clarify. Everything came promptly and as requested, so I had none of the dreaded service/kitchen issues others have reviewed upon. Will be back in the future! read more

Frans is a great place for breakfast /brunch. You know exactly what your getting , portion sizes are huge and the food is great. As much as I love Trendy places to eat Frans is a classic Toronto staple and I recommend it to all my friends and strangers alike. I usually like to sit in the rooftop its so bright and airy. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Food was fantastic, amazing service, amazing music, great prices, the vibes MWAHH like never before

The food is pretty average but you end up leaving the restaurant satisfied. Portions are good and service is great.

We stopped in for some late night eats. Easily the worst food that I've ever eaten in Toronto or just about anywhere. Both my meal and my friend's meal were complete crap. They seriously should not be selling food this poorly prepared. The server was pretty nice and the place appeared clean. Now if they could only learn how to cook. Very disappointing. Do yourself a favor, save your money and go to bed hungry. read more

My husband and I went here for our Wedding Anniversary last May 3. We ordered broccoli soup, mussels, lasagna and iced tea. The waiter served us with two bowls of broccoli soup which we ordered one only. He served I guess ginger ale instead of iced tea. Anyhow, we just accepted and didn't informed him. That was ok. I love the lasagna. One of the best. Even the mussels perfectly cooked. We will still come back here. Love the food. We want to try sandwiches and spaghetti next time. read more

Happened to stop by this place while waiting to see Trudeau during the Pride Parade last weekend in Toronto. Why this restaurant? I truly regret it now. This place seems like a lovely brunch place and we spent a good 15minutes trying to decide what we wanted from the menu because we were starved and everything sounded amazing. We got the Eggs Benedict, two breakfast sandwiches, and kaluha cappuccino. The drink was amazing, it was almost like a milkshake with lots of alcohol (totally worth the price) but we were so disappointed with the food. The eggs on the eggs Benedict was over cooked, when we told the staff this- he gave us the most condescending look before he went back and got other eggs which were again over cooked (no surprise there). After which he tried to tell me that 'this is how eggs Benedict's are' The house fries aren't good, the sandwiches weren't special at all and the whole experience felt like the 20minute line up to get into the restaurant was an utter waste. I don't recommend this place to anyone, as the staff and the cook clearly have no clue what something as basic as eggs Benedict is supposed to be like. read more

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Classic fare, good service, wide selection and fair prices. What's not to like. Great for breakfast and dinner.

I came here for breakfast with some friends on a weekday (pre-covid). It wasn't super crowded, so we were sat immediately in a booth. The booths are a bit on the smaller side. The whole vibe of the restaurant is very cute and diner-like. Our waitress was very sweet and we each ordered a breakfast meal. I got scrambled eggs, toast & homefries. I'm not sure what it was about the homefries but they were some of the best I've ever had, I literally still think about them to this day. Will be going back for more! read more

My friend's and I came across this restaurant as we were walking past it. The style they have really dragged us in. We all ordered different things and none of us were disappointed with the quality! I loved the hamburger with fries.The bathroom was kind of scary to go to alone for some reason, had to drag a friend with me to wash our hands lol. Once this quarantine is over, I will definitely come back :)) read more

A Toronto classic. Our visit to Frans was a classic diner experience. They had the same classic menu with all of the classic dishes. We enjoyed the French onion soup and smoked meat sandwiches. We will go back if in the mood for comfort food. read more

Fran's Restaurant - French Onion Soup - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I've been here 3 times now and just getting around to the review. Some pretty serious issues on my last visit: ~~The pages of my menu were completely glued together with sticky maple syrup and clearly had been for a while. Absolutely disgusting. So disgusting I almost left. ~~The kitchen did some major burning of something while we were there. The smell of burned food did eventually motivate us to get our check and leave. It's a typical diner with typical diner fare. They do an ok job on breakfast, getting the appropriately greasy items at least reasonably well-cooked. Not so sure about other items. You can tell that this restaurant specializes in transferring items from the deep freeze to the deep fryer. Their perfectly cubical and bland "hash browns" are an example. Coffee is more expensive than Starbucks and flavourless...if you drink black coffee, be sure to ask for cream and sugar here. Service has always been nice and friendly. Never any issue there. After my last experience here, I'm pretty grossed out. I don't think I'll be back for a while. Even when everything runs smoothly, the food is pretty "meh", even for the price. read more

Fran's Restaurant - The disgusting menu I was provided. Almost glued shut with syrup...ewww - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Frans is one of the only restaurants near me (besides Denny's) that is 24 hours which I love! However their food is mediocre, I always go for the steak and eggs and I find the steak to be a bit tough most of the time. However I love their home fries, it's literally one of the best thing ever!! If I had to choose between Fran's or Denny's I would go for Denny's though. But frans is closer to me than Denny's so that's always a plus. read more

I don't like to kill time, I need to squeeze every second with enjoyment. Having 1 hour to please myself around this area gave me lot's to think about, how could I spend wisely those 60 precious minutes? For several reasons I was sucked into the magnetism of this old fashion dinner. Do they have outdoor seating? They have a 2nd something floor with sun (and chilly winds so far)... Breakfast menu topped with beer (always at 11... yeah, we got it Smart Serve). Apparently they have two Universities around; don't get upset if they ask you for ID (never leave home without ID), plus feel flattered, maybe they just want to check out where are you from and what your caliber is (blink). I was missing my mom (Marsh), so I ordered the grilled liver. Plus I want to grow my bump, so I need lots of proteins... Said that, I want to go back and try one of their attractive Breakfast. Loved the vibe and the waiter was super friendly and effective. read more

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I'm an American and I know diners. This was a fantastic diner AND was open on thanksgiving (which, as a silly American, I had no idea about when I went searching for food). The host was fun and silly with me as I was silly with him. My order came out super quickly and I DEVOURED it all. My favorite part is the all day breakfast. I have a weakness for benedicts and holy moly they had AN ENTIRE PAGE of them. I had the eggs Benedict with steak and asparagus and it was heavenly. Got good food for a very reasonable price on a holiday- I'll be back for sure. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Eggs Benedict with steak and asparagus. - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The food quality is a 2* at best but the service was fast and the decor was very nice so, overall, 3*. I went for brunch with my husband on a Sunday and it was quite busy, but we received our service and food quickly. I ordered the breakfast wrap with home fries and my husband ordered omelette with home fries. Both mains were EXTREMELY BLAND SUPER BLAND, emphasizing on the extremely part. I honestly don't think they used any salt or seasoning at all. The home fries were okay, but nothing special that I would consider it a signature or anything. Convenient and quick as its in a great location but if I were to describe the food in one way it would be....grey. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Breakfast omelette with fries - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I enjoyed my meal here. The food is well made and hearty. Fun diner decor helps to wind down after a party. I would say it's good for when I don't want to deal with oily denny's food or the overpriced 7 west cafe in the area. I had the chili with garlic bread, very good combination of freshly baked bread and a deep flavour chili. My S.O. had the montreal smoked beef sandwich with eggs potatoes and fruit. I enjoyed trying it but was happier with the harder hitting flavour of the chili. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My boyfriend and I came here on a Sunday noon for brunch. We were greeted almost immediately considering how busy they were. We sat down - menu came - ordered coffee - left to decide for food - ordered our food - waited for about 15 mins for the food. We both ordered Benedicts - he got the Eggs Blackstone (Atlantic smoked salmon) and I got the Portobello Mushroom Benedict. His Benedict were not consistently poached. One was almost soft boiled and another one is almost hard boiled. My Benedict were inconsistent too but better than his: one was runny and the other one was soft boiled. The flavour of the mushroom was a bit bland (my camping grilled mushroom tasted better than this). Coffee wasn't very good either. And we had to ask the server for a refill, other places would offer refills. So overall, it was an okay dining experience. It's definitely a 2.5 stars. Independent businesses for the win! read more

Fran's Restaurant - Portobello Mushroom Benedict. - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We dined here for brunch on a weekday. Our service was quick, no complaints there. I am an eggs Benedict fiend and Fran's has a great selection. I went with the eggs blackstone (smoked salmon eggs benny) and it was delicious! Generous amount of hollandaise sauce and large helping of home fries which were crispy on the outside. We also had the morning glory waffle. Waffle topped with eggs, bacon, Apple and drowned in syrup. Would have asked for the syrup on the side if we knew how much would be on there, so it was a little on the sweet side for our taste. It was still delicious and probably even better if we were hung over. Definitely will be back for breakfast when we're in the area. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Eggs blackstone (smoked salmon). Came with a few pieces of fruit - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A great restaurant. So many choices and the staff is super nice. It's clean and comfortable and is a perfect place for breakfast, lunch or dinner on the cheap. Excellent all around. read more

Oh Frans, how you never disappoint my very late night munchies after a long night out partying... Food: This place does breakfast and it does it pretty darn good. I always order eggs here and have yet to try their sandwiches. This time, I ordered the Vegetarian Rainbow Eggs Benedict. The menu said there would be asparagus but I couldn't find it this time around. A little bit more on the pricey side around $11 but the plate was huge! Almost half the plate was filled with their fries. Although not beautifully plated as Cora's, this place gets the job done and leaves you full enough to get home into bed satisfied. Service: 4am and my party of 4 were quickly seated at the back and not surprising that it was moderately busy with people. Its another fast diner so dont expect top class service with servers asking you how your meal went. Occasionally someone would refill on our water. Decor: Still has the 60s cheap diner vibe going on. How many times have I passed by the flashing lights outside in the middle of the night? Again cheap diner so a little dirty inside so yeah. Decor is vintage looking and cute. If you want a late night bite more filling than the 24h McDs on Yonge, head to Frans! read more

Fran's Restaurant - Vegetarian rainbow benedict - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Fran's is fire y'all ready I know that breakfast with extra bacon on the side be slappin. Sometimes if I'm feeling it I'll even grab a chocolate milk to top it off read more

I had the Canadian Benedict which was brought to me by the Manager. It was smothered in paprika including the fruit. No one came to check on my meal and being it was brought by the manager, I decided not to say anything. It also looked like the pepper shakers haven't been washed on the inside for years. They were completely yellow but there was indeed black pepper inside. For $16.00, I can't complain, just express concerns. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Black pepper shakers were yellow. Haven't been washed in years - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I live frans. Been coming here for years and probably tried all of their breakfast items on the menu. Their home fries are the bomb..... seriously and love the 50 styles diner look plus it's 24 hours which means breakfast at any time of the day. Must check this place out for sure. A toronto favorite. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Breakfast wrap with home fries - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Had a lovely breakfast on the patio here. I was skeptical about this place because their menu had so much going on. Think dinner style. You can have everything from burgers to breakfast. I selected breakfast and it was a damn good choice. I had the waffles that came marinated in syrup with eggs and Bacon sliding across the syrup slick surface. The waffle was so rich I could hardly finish it. Lucky my meal ticket had no problem finishing the dripping waffle and picking up the low 20 dollar bill. Come hungry and on a budget--leave painfully stuffed. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Waffles - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I came around 7-7:30am for breakfast but it turns out it's only take-out if before 8am. I was fine by that since my hotel was close by. However, server was rude and in a hurry when asking for what I wanted to order. I observed the same interaction with other customers. The food is your typical diner food quality but the service is really lacking at this business. read more

So my boyfriend and I arrived in Toronto by way of Greyhound at the ungodly hour of 1:00am. After to checking into our hotel we were famished and needed an all hours diner to satisfy our rumbling tummy. Traveling by bus can really work up ones appetite. We located Fran's on Yelp.com and quickly as we could walked from the hotel to Frans. As we walked up the sidewalk Fran's beckoned to us the outside has this charming flashing marquee, think old theater, such as the Benedum Center has in Downtown Pittsburgh. Flashy happy sign, a great way to make a first impression! We dined here at 3am in the morning. Going into the experience my expectations were low but boy were they exceeded. I had low expectations for Frans due to negative experiences with all night diners. Well let me just tell you. The restaurant was clean and well cared for. Our food came out hot and made to order and the waiter was very friendly and efficient. I ordered the steak and eggs with a 5oz steak and two sunny side up eggs, my meal came with hash browns and toast. Home fries are normally something I completely ignore when they are served to me. Something to be discarded and only eaten when every thing else has been consumed on the plate. With home fries browns I normally get the feeling that the entire restaurants hash browns were carted in frozen and sprayed down in some chemical solution that tingles in my mouth after each bite. But NOT at Frans I can tell the difference between a frozen potato and a fresh potato and Fran's was FRESH and seasoned perfectly. I am pretty sure we all can. The steak was served medium well, the eggs were slightly under seasoned but the steak was hot delicious and glistened with juices. My steak needed nothing but to be sliced and eaten, I am slowly learning that when meat is prepared well there is hardly a need to coat it in steak sauce, ketchup or the like. I ate my steak sans sauce! My companion ordered a waffle with scrambled eggs bacon slices and caramelized apples. His breakfast was equally as delicious and equally has nicely prepared. Frans really delivered when we needed nourishment after a 10 hour bus ride from the Burgh and for that I give them 4 stars. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Monti Cristo sandwich and fries - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Last stop at the Canadian National Exhibition was at Fran's Restaurant. I had to finish up a night of ridiculous food with an even more ridiculous dessert. Hence the Blueberry Pie Milkshake. Considering how much sugar is heaped into this shake, you're probably going to have to hit the gym after reading this review. This fun house of a blueberry milkshake comes served with whipped cream, sprinkles, Smarties, cotton candy, a chocolate wafer stick, and a slice of blueberry pie nestled on top for that extra "F you" to your doctor. After taking a sip I'm pretty sure that I felt my childhood travel through time to give me a high five. It should go without saying, but in case you lack imagination, this thing was a delicious mess of calories. And God bless the folk at Fran's for actually making the blueberry milkshake the best part of the dessert, rather than relying on the array of fun toppings. This was stupid good. For my health, I'm never going to eat this again, nor would I suggest that anyone treat themselves to this without having heavily exercised prior. But hey, you're an adult. Do you boo. read more

Fran's Restaurant - Blueberry Pie Milkshake: Whipped cream, sprinkles, Smarties, cotton candy, chocolate wafer stick, blueberry pie, blueberry milkshake - Diners Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Great food and good service. Fair price. No complaints whatsoever. I would most definitively recommend them.